


from darkness to light

by KaixChan



Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, Episode: s5e20 The Fifth Man, Hurt/Comfort, Incest, M/M, Spoilers, it's actually fluffy at the end??, no character death so don't worry, pretty dark in the beginning, things look up later, you should all expect that from me by now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 23:18:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5434547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaixChan/pseuds/KaixChan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie tries to play the hero and fails.</p>
            </blockquote>





	from darkness to light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [snipermathlove29](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snipermathlove29/gifts).



> Written as a prompt from snipermathlove29. It was surprisingly fun to write?? I mean, I haven't written or been in the Numb3rs fandom for a while, but it was a bout of nostalgia to write for these boys again. xP
> 
> I'm weird with tags these days. Instead of going all formal, I'm like //writes feelings// It's kinda funny lul. I blame my love for that pff.
> 
> Anyway.
> 
> Commentary and feedback is welcomed~

When Don awakens, it’s to news he doesn’t want to hear.

His little brother confronted the man who stabbed him. Charlie was surrounded by agents, so nothing should have went wrong.

Everything did. 

Everything went horrendously wrong.

From what Alan tells him, the man pulled out a gun and shot the mathematical genius, barely missing his heart. 

He’s fighting for his life, he says.

He might die.

_He might die._

Those words echo through Don’s mind to the point he falls back on the bed, covering his face with a trembling hand. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end. He’s supposed to die first, not Charlie, who got thrown in the line of fire.

“I need to see him.”

“Donnie, I’m not sure that’s--”

“I said, I need to see him!” The words come out harsher than Don would have liked, but he’s in pain, tired, frustrated, and worried beyond all comprehensible measure. At Alan’s look, Don sighs and grits his teeth. “Sorry, but if you won’t, I guess I’ll get someone else to.”

“That’s not necessary, boy,” Alan says, eyes narrowing in a show of fatherly concern mixed with annoyance and irritation. He moves to one side of the bed and helps his eldest son move off it, making sure his IV remains steady before nodding. “Easy now.”

It hurts like a son-of-a-bitch to take anything other than baby steps, but his father is ever so patient with him, stopping when they need to rest and encouraging him. The nurses watch with worried gazes as they walk, and Don wants to glare at them, but he finds he doesn’t have the energy to do more than walk.

Eventually, they reach the outskirts of a room in the critical care ward. Alan throws a knock at the door, to which it opens, revealing a young doctor on the other side. “Ah, the nurses told me you’d be coming,” she says kindly, opening it all the way. “Come in.”

His father says something, but Don doesn’t focus on the words. Instead, he looks at his innocent little brother, hooked up to oxygen and various other machines. His torso is covered in bandages, tinged slightly with pink, and it makes Don want to throw up. 

He avoids doing so by sheer force of will. He takes small steps towards Charlie, and if they were at home, without the incessant beeping of a heart monitor, Don would have guessed his little brother was simply asleep. However, his eyes glue themselves to the bandages, and he grits his teeth. 

How dare someone do this to him… Charlie lived a simple life of teaching and diving himself in complex mathematical problems before he became wrapped in FBI work. Countless times Don mentioned to both Charlie and their father that the youngest of them should stop working for him, but now, this further solidifies his fierce desire to protect his baby brother.

“Donnie?” Alan’s voice calls, and Don looks over, trying to put on a normal face. However, it fails, and Alan gives a little, wan smile, patting his son’s arm. “Charlie will be fine. You know that boy; gets all his stubbornness from you and your mother. It’ll take more than this to knock him down.”

“Yeah…” Don mumbles, not really paying attention. Instead, rage radiates through his entire being when Charlie takes loud, painful-sounding breaths. _I failed this time. I won’t fail again._

-v-

Don’s released within the week, but Charlie remains in a vegetative state, not responding to anything. Everyone close to the FBI agent knows something is wrong when he stops paying attention to most things, but no one says a word, deciding it best to wait it out.

It’s the worst thing they could possibly do. After Don doesn’t go to work for three days, they go to his apartment, where they find him, passed out drunk on the couch with several beer bottles around his countenance. It’s then they realize one thing: Until Charlie wakes up, Don isn’t going to be much of an asset to anyone.

A week and a half passes. After his little drunk show, Don decides to take leave from work, and he uses the time with his dear, precious little brother. He tells Charlie stories of their friends, the latest bad guy they took off the streets, but above all, the older Eppes holds Charlie’s hand and prays each day for a miracle.

Hope glimmers out each day the mathematician doesn’t awaken. Doctors tell them to prepare themselves; if Charlie doesn’t wake up in four days, they’ll have to take him off life support.

Alan is the calm one, while Don doesn’t put a lid on his anger. He punches the wall and yells, eventually having to be restrained by three security guards. Alan rubs his shoulder as his oldest son has a mini meltdown, yet after that, everything goes dark in Don’s world.

He stops caring about himself and disrupts his regular routine. He eats, drinks beer, sleeps, and runs until he heaves for oxygen. It’s his way of punishing himself. Charlie is in this situation because of _him_. If he had been more careful and kept himself on guard, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t have been stabbed and Charlie wouldn’t have felt a need to play hero.

It didn’t help his inappropriate attraction to his little brother either. His heart felt as if someone ripped it out, shred it to pieces, and shoved it back in his chest. More often than not, Don found himself curling into himself and letting tears slip out of the corners of his eyes, wondering how on earth he would go on if Charlie left.

He guesses the pain would be as horrendous as when their mother passed away… No, maybe even worse. Don loved Margaret dearly, but not the same way he loved… _loves_ … Charlie. He’s taken down enough preps who go insane after their loved one was taken from them, and it’s only now Don understands why a model citizen could go from it to crime in a split second.

It’s the third night when his phone rings. Don looks at the caller ID, seeing it was his father, and answers it. “What?” he says hoarsely, inwardly wincing at the tone of his voice. 

“You sound terrible, son,” Alan replies, concern coating his voice like a thick layer of honey. “I have good news that might cheer you up.”

“And what’s that?”

“Charlie’s woke up.”

-v-

They can’t get there fast enough. Don wishes Alan would go past the fucking speed limit, but he knows his father is a law abiding citizen, no matter what circumstances present themselves to him.

Being an FBI agent, a person would think Don is the same, but… one would quickly learn, when it came to Charlie, Don did whatever he could to make sure the youngest of them was safe and content.

The doors open. Don runs towards the desk, leaving his father behind, and slams his hands on it. “Charlie Eppes, where is he?” he demands, using his “I’m-with-the-FBI-and-won’t-take-your-shit” voice. 

The nurse looks nervous, but to her credit, she says, “How are you related to him?”

“This is his brother,” Alan says, resting a hand on his son’s trembling shoulder. “I’m his father. Can you take us to him?”

“Oh, of course.” She looks a little less nervous as she walks them towards a different ward than Charlie was in before. She opens the door and smiles towards the Eppes pair. “Here you are.”

“Thanks,” is all Don mutters before he bolts inside. Charlie looks at him with a surprised expression, head tilted to the side, as if he can’t understand his brother’s show of emotion. “Chuck… Do you have any idea what you put me through, you little shit.”

Charlie blinks. “Sorry,” he mumbles, a little grin on his lips. “I guess I’m not cut out to be an FBI agent.”

“For fucks sake.” With a brief passing thought, Don moves towards Charlie and wraps an arm around him, wary of the still healing wounds. “If you do that to me again, I swear I’ll be the one to put you in a hospital bed.”

“Duly noted,” the mathematical genius replies, a breathy chuckle escaping him. 

-v-

It takes a month, but Charlie is released after intense therapy and tests. The day he exits the doors, he raises his hands and yells “freedom!”

It causes Don to laugh and ruffle his little brother’s hair. “Freedom indeed, buddy,” he says with a small smirk. “No more going after crazy people, you hear?”

“Hear hear!” Charlie replies with enthusiasm, but he takes one look at Don before his eyebrow raises. “Is there something you want to ask me?” he questions, voice going serious in a flash.

“Later,” the FBI agent mutters, cursing inwardly. He should really hide what’s on his face better. He’s usually good at it, but these recent events make him a bit more prone to emotional things.

“Tonight,” his little brother whispers, gripping his hand before letting go.

Don swallows. May as well prepare myself for losing him all over again, he thinks to himself, following Charlie and Alan to their father’s vehicle. 

-v-

“So,” Charlie begins, sitting on the couch across from Don, eyeing him curiously and with scrutiny. “Why do you look so downcast? It’s not like you.”

“How do I put this,” Don mutters, ice lacing his tone. “I lost you once and I’m going to lose you again, so no point sugarcoating it.”

“What? Why would you lose me? Don, I--”

“I love you.”

“Huh?”

Don narrows his eyes at Charlie. “There, it’s out in the open. And before you ask, no, not in the way a brother loves his younger sibling. In the way a brother would love his girlfriend.”

Charlie sputters. “W-Wha…?” He blinks. “You’re not kidding.”

“Why would I joke about something like this?”

“Point taken.” The young genius flexes his fingers. “This is… really sudden. Is it because of what happened?”

“Nope. I’ve been dealing with this for a long time, kid.” Don watches his brother’s face, from confusion, to shock, and finally, realization. “You can go and mull it over if you want.”

“No, I…” Charlie rubs his arm; his nervous habit, but not that he realized it. “I’ve always questioned my feelings for you as well. I want to try… and even if it messes up, I promise you’ll still be my brother.” The younger brother flushes a little, confusing Don until he says, “I think you should kiss me to solidify our new agreement.”

Hah, always practical. Don lets out a breath and shakes his head. “You sure, buddy? I don’t want you to think you’re forced into this.”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay then.” He moves towards his little brother, his precious one, and rests a hand on his neck. “Last chance.” Charlie closes his eyes and Don smirks a little. He closes the distance between them and it’s as if little electric currents spread through his nerves to his entire body. His free arm wraps itself around Charlie and he pulls them closer together, not wanting any space between them, now that they’ve crossed a line which could never be uncrossed.

After air becomes an issue, they pull away. Charlie stares at him with pupils blown wide, breaths coming out in light pants, and bruised lips. It’s a picture Don burns in his memory as Charlie begins to speak. “That was… incredible.”

“Not bad for a first time,” Don says smugly, grinning when Charlie swats at him. 

“Shut up.”

The elder Eppes smiles a little when Charlie huffs and turns away from him, yet leans against his side at the same time. “It’ll be okay, Chuck,” he whispers, running his fingers through the genius’ hair.

“I know,” Charlie whispers back, wearing a smile all his own.

_We’ll be okay._


End file.
